Sill construction for railway-cars.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

E. I. DODDS. SILL CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAYB. 1905.

1HE NcRRls PETERS co., wAsHmaroN. a, c.

UNTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ETHAN I. DODDS, OF

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOI SILL CONSTRUCTION To am 'zu/tom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, ETHAN I. DODDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pullman, I in the county of Cook and State Of Illinois, j have invented certain new and useful Imj provements in Sill Constructions for Railway- Cars, of which the followingl is a specification.

My invention relates to steel and steelframe railway-cars, and has reference more particularly to an improved construction of a portion of the underframe designed to effect increased lightness and economy, particularly as concerns necessary repairs to the car resulting from injury Or wear.

Hitherto in the construction of steel underframes it has been customary to form the longitudinal center sills by a pair of parallel steel bars of rolled forms, (channels, I-beams, Z-beams, &c.,) such sills extending continuously from end to end of the car through the bOdy-bolsters. In such constructions where a sill becomes bent or broken or otherwise injured it is usually necessary to replace the entire sill by a new one, involving practically the taking apart and rebuilding of the entire underframe. By my present invention I construct the center or other sills in a plurality of endwise connected sections, and to combine increased rigidity and lightness I preferably make the intermediate section in the form of a truss member.

My invention will be readily understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which represent an approved form of center sill embodying the same, and in which-- Figure l is a side elevational view of a center sill embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion thereof, more particularly illustrating the construction of one of the joints and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig'. 2 in horizontal section through the joint on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 5 may designate each of the end sections of a center sill, which l may be made of I-beams, as herein shown, or Of channels or Z-beams or any other adaptable rolled forni` 6 may represent transverse members constituting in whole or in part the usual bodybolsters.

The end sections 5 extend, preferably, a slight distance inwardly of the body-bolster, and their inner ends are connected by a lighter beam-section 7 of less width than the PULLMAN, ILLI Specification of Letters Patent. Application led May 3. 19

NOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PULLMAN S, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Patented July 3, 1906.

05. Serial No. 258,576.

ing integral therewith apertured ears l1, be-

tween which are secured by pins or bolts 12 the ends of the tension-rod S, which latter is preferably provided with the usual turnbuckle 13 for tightening the same. The pins l2 may be headed at one end, as shown, and provided with a Cotter-pin 14 through the other end to prevent displacement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides a light and very rigid center sill, with the added advantage that in case any of the end Or intermediate sections become injured or broken Or in any wise rendered unfit for service it can readily be removed and replaced by a new member.

This patent is intended to embrace only'so much of the disclosure made herein as is covered by the claims,

I claim 1. A longitudinal sill for railway-cars having end sections and an intermediate trussed section, the latter comprising a compression member of less width than the end sections, and an underlying tension member suitably braced against said compression member,

'substantially as described.

2. A longitudinal sill for railway-cars havi g rolled-beam end sections and an intermediate trussed section, the latter comprising a rolled-beam compression member of less width than the end sections, and an underlying tensiOn-rod suitably braced against said compression member, substantially as described.

3. A longitudinal sill for railway-ears, comprising end sections and an intermediate trussed section, the latter consisting of a straight compression member and an underlying tension member, and connecting-plates riveted to said end sections and compression member and also supportingl the ends of said tension member, substantially as described.

ETIIAN I. DODDS. Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK C. GOODWIN,

IOO 

